The grandfather of international film festivals, the Venice Film Festival has been a leader in film promotion since its founding 90 years ago in 1932 and is the oldest film festival in the world.
The event was founded by the National Fascist Party and in its beginnings, between 1934 and 1942, the first prize was known as the Mussolini Cup, in honor of the dictator Benito Mussolini. After his fall from power and the execution of him, some rebranding and the Golden Lion was needed [Leone d’Oro] Born.
The first Golden Lion went to the American movie about sharecropping in Texas in 1946. SouthernThe French director Jean Renoir, who fled from Europe to Hollywood at the beginning of the Second World War.
The festival has been good for American filmmakers over the years, with Lions awarded to seven American directors: John Cassavetes (Glory1980), Robert Altman (shortcuts1993), Ang Lee (mountain hump2005), Darren Aronofsky (Fighter2008), Sofia Coppola (somewhere2010), Todd Phillips (jester2019) and Chloe Zhao (nomadic country, 2020). Lee also won for the Chinese-language film. passion, prudence in 2007.
In fact, Lee is one of only four directors to have left Venice twice Leone d’Oro: André Caillat (justice has been done1950 and tomorrow is my turn1960), Louis Male (Atlantic city1980 and Au revoir les enfants1987) and Zhang Yimou (The story of Qiuju1992 and nothing less1999).
Since 1949, only six women have won the Golden Lion, Margarete von Trotta.Mariana and Giuliana1980), Agnese Varda (a wanderer1985), Mira Nair (monsoon wedding2001), Coppola, Zhao and Audrey Divan (happens, 2021). German director Leni Riefenstahl, known for producing Nazi propaganda films, won the Mussolini Cup in 1938.
Recently, Venice has become more important than ever.
Over the past five years, the films that have won Venice’s first prize, the Leone d’Oro, have proven to be a reliable reference point for the Oscars, which will take place almost six months later. Two films that won the Golden Lion during that time won the Oscar for Best Picture: water form Y nomadic country. Two more of the last five Golden Lion winners: Rome Y jester – They were nominated in the best film category.
Click on the photo above to open a gallery of all the first prize winners of the postwar festival.
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Source: Deadline
